Do you have sales management experience selling to international ICO companies? Our client is a fast-growing thought leadership specialist whose offering spans three core areas: Advisory, a set of services that helps clients to plan and execute effective and differentiated thought leadership campaigns; Research, which encompasses surveys, interview programmes, data modelling and desk research; and Content, which covers multi-format thought leadership campaigns, spanning reports, articles, opinion pieces, visual and interactive content. Their clients currently include a range of blue-chip corporate technology clients.

The Commercial Director for their Technology Practice will oversee the global growth of their thought leadership business in the ICT sector. You will recruit and manage a commercial team to help drive this growth, and this is likely to include the management of Business Development execs (junior and senior) as well in time more experienced sales execs and account managers. Reporting to company Chief Revenue Officer, you will lead the growth strategy for one of their largest and fastest-growing sectors.

Laying out a clear long-term strategy for growth, focusing their sales efforts and resources on the global markets and companies that are most suitable for accelerating their growth

Driving revenues from clients and buyers internationally, making sales trips where necessary. This may also entail working with or hiring sales execs in key growth markets such as the USA.

Leading a mixed team of Business Development and Account Management executives of varying experience. Hiring, managing, coaching and developing these sales executives so they understand our products and offerings and develop the skills to succeed.

Motivating and managing the performance of the team, including running appraisals

Working closely with key colleagues in production to develop solutions that meet the client’s brief and represent good profitable business for Longitude

Representing Longitude in key commercial discussions and partnerships, in the UK and internationally

Working on the bigger proposals and opportunities, and leading client pitches and presentations

Delegating opportunities effectively and working with your team to ensure they have the right process and approach to meet their goals and targets

Promoting good sales process and practices for BD and account-management style selling

Providing an appropriate level of communication, reporting and trend analysis to your manager and the executive team

Key attributes

You will exhibit excellent skills in people management: motivating, managing and developing your people to achieve their full potential

Your will be a strong and credible presenter with the ability to represent the firm at the highest level, in pitches and commercial workshops.

You will be confident in setting clear goals for team members and managing individual performance to achieve their personal objectives as well as the wider team goals.

You will have the ability to plan commercial strategy for the Tech team, presenting and reporting on progress on this to the CRO and executive team

You will be motivated by bringing in business and contributing to the growth of client accounts across the whole of the team

You will be able to advise clients onsolutions and approaches to meet their marketing objectives

You will oversee and orchestrate editorial, research and PM resources to meet the client’s brief

You will embed good sales process, including the team’s usage of CRM to track progress for each client and providing reliable sales forecasts for your accounts and relationships

Strong organisational and project management skills

Strong knowledge of content marketing or thought leadership

First class communicator, verbally and in writing

Strong team player with the ability to coordinate team efforts around the clients’ goals

Performance measures

Strong performance against growth targets for the practice and the team KPIs

Success in hiring and developing a strong team

Ability to coach and contribute to the training of commercial staff

Ability to build strong, profitable relationships with our clients

Client satisfaction based on your work, including the ability to respond positively to client feedback

Demonstrating the ability to develop creative solutions to client needs

A good track record of working with other expert teams (editorial, research and project management) to meet the clients needs

A strong performance at the highest levels in client pitches and commercial workshops, presenting Longitude’s offerings and solutions in a credible and compelling manner